Coach Burton Gets 500th Win in NAIA Regional
Williamsburg, KY - After starting the 2023 season in late January, the Eagles saw their season come to an end with a final loss to Columbia College, 9-6. It was the Eagles' second game of the day as they had beaten the University of Mobile to start the day, 5-2. This Mobile win kept life in the Eagles' season, but they just did not have enough to get the second win over Columbia. The loss to Cumberlands on the opening day of the NAIA Regionals put the Eagles in a must-win situation the rest of the way through the tournament.
In the Mobile game, the Eagles got out to an early 2-0 lead when Dawson Johns doubled to right center to score Jamel Rookard. Next, Richard Castro would single to score Johns giving the Eagles the early lead.
Castro would help extend this lead in the sixth inning when he had a solo homer and Nash Crowell added two more runs in the seventh with a left-field home run that scored Jacob Profit.
The Eagles had a great start with Cobey Allison pitching and continued on with Hunter Paulsen when he came in to relieve Allison in the top of the fourth inning. Overall, this was the Eagles' best pitching performance of the postseason. Allison would end up with 2 strikeouts and Paulsen had 4 total and both had zero runs scored on them. Mobile was able to get two runs in the top of the ninth, but senior Paker Miller would come in to finish off the Rams with a strikeout and no hits against him.
Reinhardt Pitching vs Mobile
| PITCHERS | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COBEY ALLISON | 3.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| HUNTER PAULSEN (W, 2-0) | 4.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| JORDAN HAMPTON | 1.1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| PARKER MILLER | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Totals | 9.0 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 2 |
The Mobile win was Coach Burton's 500th career win as a head coach in collegiate baseball. The team finished with 34 total wins which helped Coach Burton reach this milestone in his coaching career.
In the Columbia game, the Eagles would have to play catch most of the way through the game. The Eagles were able to get a 3-1 lead, but they lost this lead after some pitching troubles in the fourth and sixth innings where Columbia was able to retake the lead, 8-3.
Reinhardt was able to mount a small comeback in the eighth inning scoring three runs and cutting into the lead, 8-6, but Columbia added one more to the score in the ninth finishing the game with a win 9-6.
Unfortunately, the great pitching that the Eagles had in the Mobile game was not able to be repeated in the second game. Reinhardt gave up too many runs in the middle innings putting the game out of reach. Jordan Hampton got the start in this game, but he did not have his best stuff on this final day and he allowed 2 runs to score. Cobey Allison, who was terrific in the Mobile game, would have his struggles as well in this one and he gave up five runs. Hal Stelljus and Paker Miller would come in to relieve Allison in the final innings, but they each gave up a run.
Reinhart Pitching vs Columbia
| PITCHERS | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JORDAN HAMPTON (L, 8-3) | 2.1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| COBEY ALLISON | 1.1 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| HAL STELLJES | 2.1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| PARKER MILLER | 2.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Totals | 8.0 | 14 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
The Eagles' season came to a close after the loss to Columbia, however, there are plenty of accomplishments that happened this season. This team built on the success of the previous team and you can expect the coaching staff to load up with more talent to help the Eagles make it to the next level. A few quality pitchers added to the returning pitchers will have this program competing to make it past the NAIA Regionals into the World Series.
A few highlights from the 2023 RU Baseball Season:
• Tucker Zdunich, Preseason NAIA All-American, AAC Player of the Week, NAIA Player of the Week, AAC 1st Team All-Conference
• Jarrett Burney, AAC Player of the Week, Led the Team with 69 Total Hits, AAC 1st Team All-Conference
• Ethan Foley, AAC Pitcher of the Week, Program Record for Career Wins, Program Record for Career Strikeouts
• Andrew Herbert, AAC Pitcher of the Week, AAC Pitcher of the Year, AAC 1st Team All-Conference
• Jacob Profit, New Program Leader in Stolen Bases with 83
• AAC All-Tournament Team - Will Underwood & Nash Crowell
• Nash Crowell, New All-Time Leader for Home Runs in a Single Season (20)
• 4 Players in double-digit Home Runs - Nash Crowell (20), Lance Dockery (13), Tucker Zdunich (13), Dylan Lewis (13)
• AAC All-Conference 2nd Team - Dylan Lewis, Zach Rabe, Nash Crowell, and Ethan Foley
• 20 Players Named to AAC All-Academic Team
• Coach Burton received his 500th Career Win as a Head Coach in the NAIA Regionals.
• Team Finished 2nd Overall in AAC Regular Season
• Received At-Large Bid for NAIA Postseason for 2nd Year in a Row